Opportunity Information: Apply for DRLA DRLAQM 17 009
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announced a discretionary grant competition called "Religious Freedom and Rule of Law" (Funding Opportunity Number DRLAQM-17-009; CFDA 19.345). The opportunity is designed to support a consortium of organizations that can bring strong legal, policy, and country or regional expertise to one central effort focused on freedom of religion or belief. DRL is looking for applicants that can track and interpret global trends in national laws, proposed legislation, and related legal frameworks that affect peoples ability to exercise freedom of religion or belief, consistent with Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In practical terms, the work centers on identifying where legal restrictions, discriminatory provisions, or enforcement patterns are limiting religious freedom, and then translating that information into expert analysis that can inform responses by governments, civil society, and other stakeholders.
A core requirement of the consortium is to provide expert analysis of legal and legislative developments worldwide. This implies ongoing monitoring of laws and bills, assessment of how legal changes may restrict or protect religious practice and belief, and analysis of broader rule-of-law implications, such as whether laws are applied equally, whether there are due process concerns, and whether vulnerable religious minorities are disproportionately targeted. The focus is not only on formal statutes but also on how legal systems operate in practice, including administrative rules, court decisions, and enforcement trends that may create barriers to worship, religious expression, conversion, registration of religious groups, conscientious objection, or related activities covered by Article 18 protections.
In addition to analysis and monitoring, the consortium is also expected to support small-scale projects intended to mitigate the impact of restrictive laws or policies. These smaller activities would generally complement the research function by helping address specific challenges identified through the legal trend analysis. While the announcement does not list specific project types, this component typically points toward targeted, practical interventions that could reduce harm caused by restrictions, strengthen local capacity to respond to problematic legislation, or support efforts that promote legal safeguards for freedom of religion or belief within a rule-of-law framework. The small-scale nature suggests these would be limited, focused projects rather than large programmatic undertakings, and likely implemented with local partners or specialized experts depending on the context.
The funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling of $600,000, and funding is explicitly noted as pending availability. DRL anticipated making awards (the number is not specified in the provided data), and applications were due by November 1, 2016, with the opportunity originally created on August 26, 2016. DRL directs applicants to follow the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) posted on the DRL website, indicating that formatting, required attachments, budgets, and compliance expectations are governed by those instructions.
Eligibility is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), and an "other" category, which can cover additional qualified entities depending on DRL definitions in the PSI. Overall, the opportunity targets organizations that can credibly lead or participate in a consortium with demonstrated capacity for global legal analysis related to freedom of religion or belief, and the ability to translate that analysis into practical, small-scale mitigation projects aligned with DRLs human rights and rule-of-law objectives.Apply for DRLA DRLAQM 17 009
- The Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Religious Freedom and Rule of Law" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.345.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-26.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-11-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Religious Freedom and Rule of Law (DRLAQM-17-009)
What is this funding opportunity called?
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announced a discretionary grant competition titled "Religious Freedom and Rule of Law".
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DRLAQM-17-009, and the CFDA number listed is 19.345.
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is designed to support a consortium of organizations that can bring strong legal, policy, and country or regional expertise to a central effort focused on freedom of religion or belief. A major emphasis is tracking, interpreting, and analyzing global legal and legislative trends that affect peoples ability to exercise freedom of religion or belief.
Which government office is offering this grant?
The grant is offered by the U.S. Department of State, specifically the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL).
What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $600,000.
Is funding guaranteed?
No. The announcement notes that funding is pending availability.
Who is this opportunity intended to support?
DRL is seeking applicants that can lead or participate in a consortium capable of providing expert legal analysis on global developments affecting freedom of religion or belief and translating that analysis into practical, small-scale activities intended to mitigate the impact of restrictive laws or policies.
What are the core responsibilities of the consortium?
A core requirement is to provide expert analysis of legal and legislative developments worldwide. This includes ongoing monitoring of laws and proposed legislation, assessing how legal changes may restrict or protect religious practice and belief, and examining broader rule-of-law issues such as equal application of laws and due process concerns.
What kinds of legal developments are expected to be monitored and analyzed?
The consortium is expected to track and interpret global trends in:
- National laws and legal frameworks
- Proposed legislation (bills)
- Administrative rules
- Court decisions
- Enforcement trends and patterns
What human rights standard is referenced for the work?
The work is to be consistent with Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which is referenced as the benchmark for freedom of religion or belief protections.
What does "freedom of religion or belief" mean in the context of this opportunity?
In practical terms, the announcement highlights legal and enforcement issues that may create barriers to activities covered by Article 18 protections, including worship, religious expression, conversion, registration of religious groups, conscientious objection, and related religious practice or belief.
What is DRL trying to identify through the legal analysis?
The analysis is intended to identify where legal restrictions, discriminatory provisions, or enforcement patterns are limiting religious freedom, and to translate those findings into expert analysis that can inform responses by governments, civil society, and other stakeholders.
Does the focus include how laws are applied in practice, not just what is written?
Yes. The announcement emphasizes not only formal statutes, but also how legal systems operate in practice, including enforcement patterns, administrative barriers, and court outcomes that may restrict religious freedom.
Are rule-of-law issues part of the required analysis?
Yes. The consortium is expected to analyze broader rule-of-law implications, including whether laws are applied equally, whether there are due process concerns, and whether vulnerable religious minorities are disproportionately targeted.
Is there a program component beyond research and monitoring?
Yes. In addition to analysis and monitoring, the consortium is expected to support small-scale projects intended to mitigate the impact of restrictive laws or policies.
What is meant by "small-scale projects" in this announcement?
The announcement does not list specific project types. It describes small-scale activities as generally complementing the research function by addressing specific challenges identified through legal trend analysis. The description suggests these projects are limited and focused, rather than large programmatic undertakings.
How are the small-scale projects expected to relate to the legal analysis?
They are expected to complement the research and monitoring work by targeting specific problems revealed by the legal trend analysis, such as responding to restrictive legislation or strengthening local capacity to address legal barriers.
Are local partners mentioned for the small-scale project work?
While not required in explicit terms, the announcement notes that these small-scale projects would likely be implemented with local partners or specialized experts depending on the context.
Where are proposal formatting and required application components defined?
DRL directs applicants to follow the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) posted on the DRL website. The PSI governs items such as formatting, required attachments, budgets, and compliance expectations.
What was the application deadline?
Applications were due by November 1, 2016.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was originally created on August 26, 2016.
Is the number of awards specified?
No. The announcement states that DRL anticipated making awards, but the number of awards is not specified in the provided information.
Which organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes:
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status
- Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- An "other" category for additional qualified entities depending on DRL definitions in the PSI
Is this opportunity limited to nonprofits only?
No. Eligibility is broad and includes certain institutions of higher education as well as nonprofit organizations, plus an "other" category as defined by DRL in the PSI.
What kind of expertise is DRL looking for in applicants?
DRL is looking for organizations that can credibly lead or participate in a consortium with demonstrated capacity for global legal analysis related to freedom of religion or belief, combined with the ability to translate findings into practical mitigation activities aligned with DRLs human rights and rule-of-law objectives.
What outputs or uses of the analysis are implied by the announcement?
The announcement indicates the consortium should translate legal monitoring into expert analysis that can inform responses by governments, civil society, and other stakeholders dealing with restrictions on religious freedom.
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